Automobile cabinet



J. SCHMITT.

AUTOMOBILE CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 15, ms.

1,41 3; 1 36. Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l' J. SCHMITT.

AUTOMOBILE CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.15, 1918.

Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 4 M2 v I I} 4 42 a 4 m. J n j 4a J. SCHMITT.

AUTOMOBILE CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 15. 191B.

1 ,41 3, 1 36, Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

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JOHN scmvrrrr, or PORTLAND, onneon.

AUTOMOBILE CABINET.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN SoHMrrT, a citizen of the United States of" America, residing in the city of Portland, in the county of Multnomah, in the State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile "Cabinets, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to produce a conveniently portable cabinet or packing case, that has certain distinctive features which adapt it, specially, but not exclusively, for automobile touring service. if j A feature of prime importance is that when open and set up for use it constitutes a firm and serviceable table. As a table it presents a fiat and unobstructedsurface, the cabinet frame being open and of an eleva tion above the top of the table suflicientto admit of free intercommunication across the table between persons seated on opposite sides thereof. To all purposes the table is as free from obstruction as if there were no cabinet frame present; but the frame nevertheless affords a platformv or second story above the top of the table proper, which is a distinct advantage in acamping utensil whose dimensionsit is desirable to restrict within certain limits, as much as practicable.

The cabinet'frame is preferably supplied with vertical and horizontal partitions of, any preferred number and relative disposition, which divide the interior of the frameinto a series of separate compartments, each of which, when the cabinet is open, is accessible from either side, and all of which are closed by the doors of the cabinet that are, as such, common to all the compartments when the cabinetis closed, andfwhich constitute table leaves when the cabinet is open.

The partitions referred to in the last preceding sentence are preferably removable, since'it is'by their removalthat the cabinet maybe relieved of-all obstructions. It is obvious, nevertheless, that even when all are in place they present no serious obstruction to free intercommunication between. opposite sides of the table. On the contrary;

their presence affords even an advantage, in respect to service of a quick lunch.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Ap1 ;18, 1922,

Application filed .October 15, 1918.

Serial No. 258,190.

shape of a dish, plate, or the like, is, by the aid of its respective horizontalpartitions, constituted an effectually closed receptacle, wherein food may be bestowed and, if desired, individual portions for the individuals of a touring party may be distributed and made ready in advance for immediate access from time to timealong the road. This feature affords a special convenience when children are of the party.

If desired, two dishes or containers-may be laid face to face and confined in grooves in opposite vertical partitions so as to constitute a food receptacle without the media tion of a horizontal partition.

As the drawings show, my invention is not limited to the useof plates or dishes as food containers, but may be extended to the ac-' commodation oflarger utensils, as for ex ample a coffee pot, for whose accommodation a special compartment ofsuitable dimensions, is provided; Provision is also made for nesting extra articles or such as areunsuited for use as containers, in order to soon omize space to advantage. i l

In the foregoing, I have selecte dfor mention only some of the distinctive features of v invention, others being apparent with out special mention. What constitutes my invention will be hereinafter specified in detail and succinctly set forth in theappended claims. 7 r

In the accompanying drawings, I Fig. I is anend elevation of my invention in present preferredform ofembodiment, with rack omitted, set up and open to constitute'a table. v v

Fig. 11 is aside elevationyof the subject matter of Fig. I, complete with legs broken away.

Fig. III is a top plan view of the same, with; tray at left hand side omitted. N Fig. IV is a top plan view of my cabinet closed and ready for portage.

. Fig'V is an endview of Fig. IV..

III, detached and provided with a removable handle, to constitute a broiler or toaster.

Fig. IX is a side elevation ofthe subject matter of Fig. VIII.

Fig. X is a side elevation on enlarged scale of the bread box, tumblers, and tumbler holders, as shown in Fig. II but taken at right angles to the view shown in Fig. II and removed from the cabinet.

Fig. XI shows in plan a frying pan, with handle like that shown in Fig. VIII.

Fig. XII is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. XIII is a top plan of a bottle holder.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings,1 indicates a frame that is preferably of oblong rectangular shape, and open upon its opposite sides 2 and 3 asshown in Figs. I and III. It may be made of any suitable material such, for example, as wood or metal, that may be preferred, and may be of any preferred dimensions andcapacity.

.4 and 5 indicate doors which are preferably hinged, respectively, to the bottom 6 of the frame, and adapted, when open, as shown in Fig. I, to lie flush with the upper surface of the bottom 6, so as to form therewith a smooth table top. Said doors are preferably substantially coextensive with the frame 1, so as, when closed, to convert said frame into a snugly fitted box or cabinet. The dimensions of the frame, being variable as has been specifiechare determinable at the option of the maker to suit its intended capacity.

The interior of the frame 1 is, according to my invention, cut up into as many compart-ments as the capacity of the cabinet or the preference of the maker may dictate,

those illustrated and described being of preference only.

I prefer to dividev the interior of the frame 1 into compartments by the employment of vertical partitions 9 and horizontal partitions 10, all of which, they being of any preferred number and in any preferred combination, are preferably entirely removable from the frame 1. Obviously, by omission of a partof the complement of partitions 9 and 10, a wide diversity, by rearrangement, of the compartments within the frame 1 may be effected.

When the frame 1 is stripped of all its removable partitions and contents it presents an open unobstructed space between the table leaves made by the doors 4 and 5,

that is surmounted by the top 11 of the frame upon which articles may beset, thereby increasing the .serving capacity of the of another.

table. On the other hand, the partitions in of any suitable and preferred material, or

some may be made of one material and some They are illustrated in the drawings as made of wood, the partitions 9 sliding in opposite gains 12 and 13 in the topand bottom, respectively, of the frame .1, and the partitions 10 in corresponding gains, 14 and 15, in the partitions 9. If metal partitions are substituted,' they may be correspondingly assembled by any of usual methods well known in the art that may be preferred or which may be adapted to the purpose.

Certam partitions 10 and as many of them as may be'desired are spaced apart to accommodate snugly between 'them one or more containers 16, such as is shown, for example, in Figures II and VII, so as to constitute a lower partition into a supporting shelf for said container or containers,

and the partition next above it into. an effec-v tive retaining-cover for'the same. They are thus made to hold food, and, if desired, ready to serve in transit.

With like effect but with enlarged capacity two plates 17 of proper construction may be placed face to face and secured by peripheral flanges 18 within opposite gains 14: and 15 as shown, for example, in Fig. II.

Besides the compartment construct-ion already descnibed, special compartments may be provided. For example in Fig. II a drawer19, shown in plan on an enlarged scale in Fig. VI, is illustrated. Below it in Fig. II a compartment is shown snugly filled with cups 20. The lowermost of the same series of compartments is made to accommodate a bread box 21, upon the sides of which tumblers 22 are hung in wire slings or holders 23. See also Fig. X. 25 indicates, see Fig. II, a coffee pot fitted within a special compartment, which may also acframe, as shown in Figs. II'and III, I

prefer to provide for the support of wire towel rods 33, and a' 'grid 34. The grid is preferably of dimensions which will admit v of its introduction into I a compartment of the cabinet, and which may be readily transformed into a broiler or toaster by the applicationof a handle 35 as shown in Figs. VIII andIX. The handle is provided at one end with divergent wire arms 36 having terminal eyelets 37 to receive the down wardly deflected tangs 38 with which the grid 34: is provided. A stay piece 39 provided with a terminal hook 40 for detachable engagement with a. cross-bar ll ofthe grid renders the handle 35 effectively complete.

The doors 4 and 5 are preferably provided with braces, preferably chains 42 and 43, respectively, that extend taut between their outside corners and the frame 1 when the doors are dropped to constitute table leaves. They may be also provided with turn buttons 45 or other fastening devices to keep the doors closed when desired.

My cabinet may be set in use upon any available support. It may be opened in emergency from one side without removing it from the running board of an automobile upon which it may be conveniently disposed in transit; but I prefer to provide it with a special means of support as shown in Fig. I. Such means consist preferably of a pair of legs 46 for each end of theframe 1. Each leg is provided towards oneend with a bevel face l7 whose angle determines the spread of the legs when brought into abutment by insertion of a pair of legs into loops 48 provided for their reception and secured to the end plate 49 of frame 1 substantially in the triangular relative disposition illustrated in Fig. I. In use, when in place, the legs are securelyheld in place by the weight of the cabinet. provided in the legs for reception of'the towel rods 33, and the tangs 38 of the grid 34. The legs may be provided with 'coregistering dowels 50 and sockets 51 for holding them together when packed for portage as shown in Fig. IV. p

In like manner a tray 52 may be hung below the towel rods 33, if desired.

For convenience, also, a hammock 54 may be slung between hooks 55lp rovided for its four corners on the legs l6 when attached to the frame. Bails 56 pendent from the bottom 6 may be used to distribute the weight of a load laid upon it. The hammock and the bails may be removed and folded together for packing in a compartment of the cabinet in transit.

In Figs. XI and XII a frying pan 57 is shown provided with a handle 35 as previously described.

In Fig. XIII a convenient bottle jhol'der as for a bottle 58 shown inplace in Fig. II is shown. It consists of a single strap 59 having its ends adjustably united, as by a buckle 60.

It is threaded through slits 61 provided for.

it in a partition9, and is thereby adapted to hold, by tension applied to the strap and secured by its buckle, the bottle 58, or like receptacle, securely against the said parti- Suitable recesses may bev I quity.

tion 9. It is obvious that both sides of the said partition may be utilized, if need be, for the confinement against it of a bottle or hottles, by the one strap.

In packing the device for transportation the cabinet is made the receptacle, in the manner specified hereinbefore, for all accessories, except the legs 46 which are secured to the outside of the cabinet as by buckle straps 63, compare Figs. IV and V.

A strap handle 64s is preferably provided on the top 6 of the cabinet for convenient means of portage, compare Figs. II, III and IV.

t is believed that the operation of my invention will be fully comprehensible upon the reading of the foregoing specification without further description.

What I claim is:

1. In a cabinet of the class described, a

bottom, end walls, atop wall, side walls hingedto opposite sides of said bottom wall and adapted to be positioned in substantially the same plane with said bottom to form a table, and a plurality of partitions positioned within said cabinet and extending upwardly a substantial distance from the bottom, said partitions being removable whereby the removal of said partitions afford an unobstructed table surface, said top affording a shelf spaced from the table by the end walls. j I

2. The combination with a cabinet provided with drop doors to constitute when open a table, of loops relatively disposed on opposite walls of the cabinet so as operatively to receive and hold detachable legs in mutually bracing and abutting propin- 3. The combination with a cabinet provided with three loops on each of two of opposite vertical walls thereof, said loops of each group having triangular relative disposition, of a pair of legs for each group of loops adapted to be inserted into a loop apiece and also into the third loop as a member common to both.

At. The combination with a cabinet provided with three loops on each of two of opposite vertical walls thereof, said loops of each group having triangular relative disposi-' tion, of a pair of legs for each group of loops adapted to be inserted'into a loop apiece and also into the third loop as a member common to both, the ends of the legs abutting within the third loop having bevel faces, respectively, whose abutment one against the other determines the spread of the paired legs.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set myhand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN SOI-IMITT. Witnesses: 1

JOHN B. CLELAND, JOSEPH L. ATKINS. 

